Thursday, 25 November 2010

Thursday, 25 November 2010

Thursday, 25 November 2010

Mr Speaker took the Chair at 2 p.m.

Prayers.

Motions

Pike River Mine, West Coast—Tragedy

Hon BILL ENGLISH (Deputy Prime Minister) on behalf of the Prime Minister: I move, That the House mark the tragic loss of life that has occurred at the Pike River coalmine; express its deepest sympathy to the family and the friends of the men who died; thank the rescue teams and support teams who were so willingly prepared to help; and acknowledge the profound impact on the communities that this disaster has affected. Today is a day for mourning and remembering. At 3.45 on the afternoon of Friday, 19 November, a large underground explosion tore through the Pike River mine, 46 kilometres north-east of Greymouth on the West Coast. Thirty-one men were in the mine at the time of the explosion. Two escaped to safety; 29 others—24 New Zealanders, two Australians, two Britons, and one South African—did not emerge from the mine. For 5 days we hoped they could still be alive. But at 2.37 p.m. yesterday a second explosion ripped through the mine, extinguishing all hope of their survival.

The death of these men is a tragedy for their families, their workmates and friends, their community, and our nation. Our thoughts are with the miners’ families in their immense grief and loss. As the Prime Minister said to them yesterday: “Though we cannot possibly feel this pain as you do, we have you in our hearts and our thoughts.” On behalf of the people of New Zealand, this House extends its sympathies and support to the miners’ parents, wives, girlfriends, siblings, and mates. It is important, in particular, that the children who have lost their fathers will remember them with pride and know that their loss was felt by a nation.

Support and condolences have flowed in from throughout the country and around the world. This tragedy reminds us again of the history of Australia and New Zealand standing together in adversity. The Australian mining industry has generously contributed technical expertise, and a flag flies at half mast on the ANZAC Bridge in Sydney.

We thank all of those who have worked so hard on the attempted rescue of these men. From the moment of the first explosion, they have spent every waking hour tirelessly working, searching for a way to bring these men home alive. We acknowledge their professionalism at a time of enormous frustration. We also acknowledge all those who have given their time and energy to support the families. Much more will be asked of them in the days to come.

The next step now is to make the mine as safe as possible, so that the men’s bodies can be recovered. It is also natural and appropriate that New Zealanders are seeking answers to how this disaster occurred. Families want certainty about the events leading up to their loved ones’ deaths, and we all need to know how such a disaster can be prevented in the future. Cabinet will confirm the details of a commission of inquiry at its next meeting on Monday, along with any other inquiries that may be deemed appropriate.

Today we also acknowledge the sense of loss felt by all New Zealanders who have watched the story of the Pike River miners unfold. Each passing day of this tragedy made the hopes and frustrations of the West Coast community and the miners’ families our hopes and frustrations. These are men whose names we did not know, but we instinctively recognised their qualities collectively as the best of ours. These were men who knew the strain and satisfaction of physical work, and who lived in a community where teamwork, hard work, and practical skill are respected. They were breadwinners for their families and earners for their community. They died not fighting a war in a strange land, nor taking undue risks; they died, shockingly, going to work. They were ordinary people who died in extraordinary and perhaps horrible circumstances. Their numbers are no consolation to the grief of each individual family. That is the pain of each family alone. But the scale and the horror of this tragedy have dragged us all to the entrance of the Pike River mine, and today we stand there together with the families and the West Coast community, contemplating what might have happened in the darkness. Who among us did not hope that the qualities of these men, which we regard as the best of our own qualities, would triumph over the odds and lead them into the light? It was not to be.

As the tragedy passes, it is our hope that the families and communities can be held together by the toughness, the comradeship, the resilience, and the commitment to the common good that we all share with those who are lost. The darkness took their lives, but it cannot take the love that these men had for their families and their mates, and nor can it take our respect for them. May they rest in peace.

Hon ANNETTE KING (Deputy Leader—Labour): The Labour Opposition joins all parties in this House in sending our sympathy to the families and friends of the 29 men who perished in the Pike River Coal mine disaster yesterday. We are also thinking of the people of the West Coast who have woken this morning to the reality of the loss, knowing that all hope of life has been extinguished.

Not a day goes by that we do not hear or read of a tragedy somewhere in the world from natural or human causes—earthquakes to floods, famine to fire—and we watch the passing parade of pictures on our television sets. We feel sad at their loss and we shake our heads at the enormity of their tragedy, but nothing hurts like the death of your own. Twenty-nine men have died, and although five of them are from other countries—Scotland, Australia, and South Africa—they now lie alongside our men and they too are now New Zealanders.

There will be very few people in New Zealand today who do not feel a sense of loss and deep sadness as we look at the faces of the family members, the rescuers, the community leaders, and the clergy, all grief-stricken at their loss and frustrated at their inability to save those lives. As the headlines in our newspaper said today, it is “Our darkest hour”. So many words have already been said and written over the past 6 days, and no doubt many more will follow. Eventually, the stories of this tragedy will also become part of the West Coast legend.

On Friday the Mayor of Grey District, Tony Kokshoorn, who has shown incredible leadership, said that there was a little bit of the West Coast in all of us. I think he is right. But there is a little bit of the coalminer in many of us, as well. My old dad started his working life at 14 years of age in the Owen River mine, 13 miles north of Murchison. His dad worked in the mine, too. And his dad before him worked in the Denniston mine, where he broke his back in a mining accident. And his dad was a miner from Jarrow, County Durham, who came to New Zealand for a better life—and my generation got that better life. That will be a familiar story for thousands of New Zealanders whose family grew out of a mining tradition on the West Coast, or in Southland, Huntly, or Waihī.

When most of us think of working in a coalmine, we think of dirt and dust and darkness, hard labour, and danger. But for those who go down the mines it is a way of life. Few other jobs build the sense of brotherhood and loyalty to each other that miners have. The West Coast reputation of stoic, strong fighters arises out of that mining tradition. Now all that strength of character and fighting spirit are going to be needed in the days ahead. As John Crowley, a West Coaster writing in the Dominion Post said today, “what will tomorrow bring … It will bring a heavy blanket of abject sadness.”, until the region rises again from this devastating experience. It will rise again, and they will not be alone.

This morning I was talking to Rick Barker. He is a boy from Rūnanga, who has spent the last 5 days in Greymouth. He said what a close-knit community it is. In one street in Rūnanga, Ranfurly Street, two grieving mothers live just a short distance apart. Many others in that street are connected to the miners who died. Rick said there have been 5 days of dread, 5 days of hope, 5 days of courage, and 5 days of great leadership, but now is the time to mourn, and to focus on retrieving the bodies of the men so that there can be closure for their families. Then there will be a time to find out what went wrong.

May they rest in peace.

KEVIN HAGUE (Green): A speech like this is normally given by one of our co-leaders, and I want to begin by expressing my thanks to Metiria and Russel for giving me the opportunity to speak on this tragedy today and to express our profound sorrow. I live the closest to the mine of anyone in this Parliament. When I spoke earlier this week about every family and every household in and around Greymouth being connected to at least one of the men who is trapped in the mine, I include my own in that. One of my partner’s relations was killed in the Strongman Mine disaster in 1967. That tragedy has echoed down the years, through our family and through the community. Now the name of Pike River joins that terrible toll of Strongman, Dobson, Brunner, and many other disasters. Those who were bereaved by these previous disasters will feel afresh their own pain but will also know best of all the anguish and grief now being experienced by the families and friends of the 29 men killed.

When I spoke on Tuesday I expressed the fervent hope that the men would be brought home. That is still my fervent hope. Families need the bodies of their loved ones to come home so that they may properly grieve, and I know that that is well understood and that no effort will be spared, nor should it, to do this.

I want to again express my and the Green Party’s sincerest thanks and admiration for the work done by Tony Kokshoorn, Gary Knowles and the police, the other emergency services and Mines Rescue, the district health board and its staff, the New Zealand Amalgamated Engineering, Printing and Manufacturing Union, the Red Cross, the churches of Greymouth, and everyone else who has been involved in providing support.

I want to express my personal gratitude to other members of this House—those who have been helping out directly on the Coast, but also everyone else. I feel that when I return home this afternoon, I will be carrying with me the support and well-wishes of this whole House. I will single out Peter Whittall. I know Peter personally, but I will take this public opportunity to convey the Green Party’s thanks, our enormous sympathy, but also our tremendous respect for the integrity, responsibility, and compassion that he has unfailingly shown. I am sure that that is a feeling shared by the nation.

There is a memorial to those lost in the Brunner Mine disaster in the road leading out of Greymouth up towards Pike River. It carries an inscription from the New Zealand Tablet from 3 April 1896: “While the widows and orphans were watching with heartbroken anxiety at the pit mouth for the result of the rescue work, all New Zealand seemed to stand by and share the grief of the bereaved ones.” This is a loss being felt by a whole country. When we consider the devastation and emptiness that we feel, we know that this is nothing compared with the utter loss suffered by the bereaved families. Our hearts go out to you. If we could share your burden, we would do it, but we cannot. We will support you in any way that we can, and we will remember them.

Hon RODNEY HIDE (Leader—ACT): It is with deep and overwhelming sadness that I rise today on behalf of the ACT Party to join with all members of this House to offer our heartfelt sympathy and our support to the families and to the loved ones of the Pike River coalminers whose lives have been so tragically taken away. Words cannot even begin to express the sorrow we feel at the profound loss of 29 good men, who were loved by their community and by their families. We are also well aware that the deep sorrow that we feel now is only a fraction of that being experienced on the West Coast.

The people of Greymouth possess an immense strength of character. We have seen your courage and your determination time and time again. We have seen you face adversity head on. The days to come will be incredibly difficult, both emotionally and physically, but we know that you will come through this and your community will become stronger.

All New Zealanders are united in grief today and will never ever forget the loss of these 29 miners. These men were part of the backbone of New Zealand: family men, working men; men who kissed their wives, their parents, and their children goodbye as they left for work on Friday, never once imagining that they would not be coming home. I cannot begin to comprehend how those families must be feeling right now.

I too wish to thank the entire rescue team and all those who offered assistance, advice, support, and expertise. We know that there is still much work to be done, but your efforts will be of invaluable assistance and comfort in this time of need.

I say thank you to Peter Whittall, Chief Executive of Pike River Coal. Thank you for your leadership, your courage, your honesty, and your humanity. I know that all New Zealanders will continue to support you and all your staff in the days and weeks ahead. I know that the job and the decisions you have ahead of you to ensure that Pike River Coal remains on the West Coast, and to ensure the employment of miners and staff, will be difficult but it is of critical importance.

As Minister of Local Government, let me pay tribute to councillor Milton John Osborne, 54, of Ngāhere, who was one of the 29 in the mine at the time of Friday’s explosion. Milton was serving his second term on the Grey District Council as a representative for the eastern ward where he was elected unopposed. He was also a contractor at the Pike River mine. Grey District Council Chief Executive, Paul Pretorius, said that Milton was highly respected for his council work. He took a wide interest in council issues. The area he represented was very close to him. Milton had a special concern for the farming issues in Ngāhere, and he represented the farmers with conviction. Milton always looked at the merits of each case and carefully considered things, always coming very well prepared to council meetings. His input was ever thoughtful and he also included the lighter side, while always making perfect sense. Milton was a big friendly guy with a great sense of humour. He could come up with a joke at the most appropriate and, indeed, the most inappropriate times. He lived his life without apology. He was a caring father and a good husband. He and his wife were great friends. He was respected, he was valued, and he was loved as a member of the council. I would like to quote Paul’s final comment verbatim: “Milton epitomises the West Coast: he was a good bastard.”

I also wish to acknowledge and thank the Mayor of Greymouth, Tony Kokshoorn, who has been the face of the community during this difficult and gut-wrenching time. Tony’s courage, support, and leadership gave strength to the families and friends who live in this close-knit community. I offer you my support and strength.

As Associate Minister of Education, I also recognise the work of the Ministry of Education’s traumatic incident team. The team has worked tirelessly to support staff in schools and early childhood education services in the area so that children can maintain the rhythm of their lives during a time of great uncertainty and sorrow.

Mining is a way of life on the West Coast, and in Greymouth especially. For many families, mining is more than just a livelihood; it is a tradition. One could say it is in their blood. It is for this reason that we cannot allow mining to cease on the West Coast; rather we must find out how this happened and we must see what lessons we can learn from it. Although it is difficult today to see beyond the sorrow, may looking back in memory help comfort you tomorrow. Rest in peace. God bless their souls.

Hon JIM ANDERTON (Leader—Progressive): Like all New Zealanders, I am deeply saddened by the loss of the 29 miners in Greymouth, and my thoughts and prayers are with the loved ones who are left behind.

As a nation, and as a House I am sure, we have clung on to a glimmer of hope in the past 6 days. With every passing hour we have put our faith in the possibility of a miracle. Fears over entering the mine safely, which had been such a concern to Superintendent Gary Knowles, were well justified when the second explosion occurred yesterday. He and Pike River Coal Chief Executive Peter Whittall have shown calm, intelligent leadership and great strength at a difficult time. No praise is high enough for all of those who were part of the plans to secure the rescue of these men. Hope, however, for the 29 men trapped down the Pike River mine disappeared yesterday afternoon.

This event has, of course, been a tragedy for the West Coast and its community and, needless to say, for the whole of New Zealand. It brought back some sad memories to many who have, unfortunately, been in this space before. Mining is an iconic industry on the West Coast, but that does not mean, however, that the rest of us have no responsibility for ensuring that such a tragedy does not happen again. We must refuse to accept that any of the deaths are a necessary cost of mining. It is a responsibility of all of us, from mine operators to the Government and this Parliament, to take steps to strengthen mine safety so that the safety of all our miners is our No. 1 concern.

Pike River is a modern, state-of-the-art mine with, presumably, all of the latest safety technology. But that did not save the lives of the 29 men we lost yesterday. The new mine was on the same coal seam as the mine in Brunner where 65 men were killed by choking gas in 1896. It echoed the Strongman mine explosion, which killed 19 miners in 1967. And there have been, even as recently as last year, many other similar disasters in other countries. How many more deaths must we experience in this industry before we ask some very serious questions about the viability of this type of mine? It will be the best possible tribute to those who died if we carefully examine the most comprehensive safety measures possible before we put any more miners in harm’s way.

Since colonisation, the West Coast has had a long history in mining. The risk of mining has always been faced by miners and, as a consequence, their families. Today is a time to reflect on the human tragedy of this latest mining disaster, but these precious lost lives must be treasured through the efforts of all of us to see that this kind of catastrophe does not occur again.

Hon PETER DUNNE (Leader—United Future): There are, thankfully, only a few awful tragedies in the life of a nation that are so powerful in their impact, so searing on the emotions, that we all stop still, frozen in time as it were for that moment, and reflect upon what has happened, what its impact is going to be, and what its impact on us as a nation has been. Although it would be infelicitous to make comparisons, I can think of a few in my own lifetime to which the tragic events at Pike River must now be added. It is not just, awful as it is, the death of 29 miners in horrific circumstances; this was an event that stopped a nation. We all felt for those miners—desperately—and even more so for their families and loved ones, their friends, their neighbours, and their colleagues. Every time Peter Whittall appeared on television to provide an update we could see and feel his pain and his genuine sense of wanting desperately to bring those men out alive, and we were with him. Yesterday’s events dashed whatever remaining hopes there were in that regard, and now a country, a region, and individual families deal with the consequences.

I guess that for those families there will be the awful shock of adjusting to what has happened. There will be the consolation of a tight-knit community and the love of a nation all around them. But, sadly, that is passing. Once the memorial services have been held, and once life starts to pick up its inevitable threads again, their pain will endure and their grief will carry on. The real challenge for all of us in this compassionate society is about their ongoing support and their ongoing place in our collective heart, as we struggle to overcome the consequences of this tragedy.

It bites deep. It is not just a case of thinking about the West Coast and what has happened there. Earlier this morning I was visiting Inland Revenue Department staff in Christchurch, partly in the wake of the events that they have suffered following the Christchurch earthquake, only to be informed that one of the staff members in Christchurch is the mother of one of those lost in the mine. So we have people who have gone through a different set of emotions, following an earthquake, coming together to get over those, to now be faced with another tragedy in their midst. This must surely be New Zealand’s annus horribilis.

At this time our words are inadequate, however well meant, and our gestures, however well meant, will not be enough. Our challenge as a people as we stand still so numbed by this shock, so awestruck by what has happened, is to never forget those families, to do what we can to assist them materially and otherwise right now and into the future, and to pay them the ultimate courtesy of finding out what happened, what lessons can be learnt, and what steps can be taken to prevent any form of repetition at a future date.

Much has been said about the heart and soul of the miners, and I acknowledge particularly the comments from my colleague Mr Hide regarding Milton Osborne, who as I said the other day had been a candidate for United Future at the 2005 general election. I acknowledge the stories we are hearing about so many of the other miners—their contributions to life well beyond their working careers, to their families, their communities, and their sports. I acknowledge also the hopes that are now diminished and will never be achieved, and the aspirations unmet.

This is an occasion where we all figuratively want to give those suffering people one giant hug of support. I suppose the only thing we can now hope for is that the bodies are recovered quickly, that there can be closure through the memorial services, and that those who suffered and died so unnecessarily can at last rest in peace.

TE URUROA FLAVELL (Māori Party—Waiariki): Whakataka te hau ki te uru, whakataka te hau ki te tonga, kia mākinakina ki uta, kia mātaratara ki tai. Kia hī ake ana te atākura, he tio, he huka, he hauhunga. Tihe—e mauri ora!

E te parekura, e ngā mate, e ngā aituā o te wā, e ngā tōtara nui o te wao, koutou kua tangohia e te Ringa-Kaha-o-Aituā, moe mai, moe mai, moe mai rā. Ko koutou tērā i haere ki te kōpū-o-Papatūānuku ki reira mahi ai i ngā mahi hei oranga mō ngā tamariki, mō ngā mokopuna, mō koutou, mō ō koutou hoa, tē hoki mai. Tē hoki mai, ki te whai ao, ki te ao mārama.

Koi nei au e tū ake nei hei whaiwhai haere i te āhuatanga o ngā kōrero i te rangi nei, e koro mā, e tama mā; ki te tuku i ngā mihi ki a koutou e noho huna nei i te whai ao, i te ao mārama. Ko koutou tērā i te kōpu o Papatūānuku e tatari nei, e tatari nei, e tatari nei. Anei te motu kei runga i a Papatūānuku e tatari nei, e tatari nei, e tatari nei. I tōna mutunga mai, kāre koutou i te hoki ora mai ki roto i ngā ringaringa o wā koutou whānau i te wā i a koutou. Ko koutou ngā toa i te wā i a koutou. Ko koutou ngā ringa raupā i te wā i a koutou. Ko koutou ngā kaitohutohu i te wā i a koutou. Ko koutou ngā kaimirimiri o te tuarā o wā koutou whānau i te wā i a koutou; e kore koutou e hoki ora mai. Koi nei te tangi o te ngākau e hoa mā, ko koutou tērā e takoto nei, e noho huna nei i te kōpū o Papatūānuku. Anei te motu, anei te ao e tangi nei ki a koutou. Okioki mai, okioki mai, okioki mai.

Kai te tangi te motu, Māori mai, Pākehā mai, tamariki mai, kōeke mai, kūia mai, korōua mai. Te motu tēnei e tangi nei ki a koutou, moe mai, moe mai, moe mai rā. Kua rongo i ngā kōrero mō koutou i te wā i a koutou e takatū ana i te mata o te whenua. E hoa mā, kua whakahīhī te motu i a koutou. Āe! Ehara i te mea i eke koutou ki ngā taumata o te motu. Ehara i te mea i eke koutou ki ngā pakitara o te Whare Pāremata. Kāo! Engari ō roto i te ngākau o wā koutou whānau, i eke, i eke koutou ki ngā taumata e tika ana. E kore taea te karo tērā āhuatanga. Anā i te rangi nei, kotahi tonu te kōrero, kotahi tonu te whakaaro, kotahi tonu te wairua, e hoa mā, koutou kua ngaro. Kua eke koutou, kua eke koutou, kua eke koutou ki te tiketiketanga o te ao. Moe mai, moe mai, takoto mai.

E te motu me pēnei rawa te kōrero. Waiho rātou kia moe, kia okioki. Kia hoki mai ki a tātou te hunga ora, huri noa i tō tātou Whare, tēnā koutou, kia ora tātou katoa. Kei wareware, ko te āhuatanga o te hunga pēnei i tā wēnei e kōrero nei, i ngana, i ngana, i whakahokia mai tērā tira ki roto i ngā ringaringa o te motu. Me mihi ka tika ki a rātou. Me te mōhio anō hoki i tino tīhaehae te tangi o te ngākau o tērā hunga nā runga i te aha? He hoa haere, he hoa tata rātau ki a rātau. Nō reira, me mihi rā ki a rātou. Ko tāku noa ake ko te whaiwhai haere i ngā mihi ā ēnei nā. Ko te mate kē, kāre i eke ki tērā o ngā wawata ō tātau katoa.

I a au e hoki ana ki te wā kāinga inapō nei, i te mutunga mai o ngā mahi i te Whare Pāremata, nei au e whakaaro ake nei, mēnā koi nei te tangi o tōku ngākau mō te rua tekau mā iwa, ka pēhea hoki te motu i te wā o te pakanga i ngā tau kua hipa? Arā ngā tohu mō te hunga kua ngaro. Ko te rua tekau mā iwa tēnei engari, kai te tangi te motu. Koi nei te aroha atu ki a tātau katoa. Ko rātau tēnei i whai nei i te āhuatanga o te hunga kua ngaro. Arā, ko tērā mokopuna, e ai ki ngā kōrero, ono tekau mā rima te hunga i mate—Dobson tokowhā, Strongman tekau mā iwa, Cave Creek tekau mā whā, arā anō te tangi o te ngākau. Kotahi tonu te tira i haere nei i te rangi nei, me waiho rātau kia moe. Nō reira ko tāku noa ake e te Whare, huri noa, huri noa, waiho rātou kia moe. Ki ngā whānau, ki te rohe, ki te motu e tangi nei kia kaha mai tātau. Me tū pokohiwi ki te pokohiwi, ringa ki te ringa ki te tautoko i tērā hunga e tangi nei i tēnei wā, kia kore rātau e noho i te mokemoke, i te āwangawanga engari, me whakapakari tātau i a rātau i te mea, ko tātau tēnei e tangi nei. Huri noa i tō tātau Whare, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou katoa.

Whakaaria mai

Tōu rīpeka ki au

Tiaho mai nā roto i te pō

Hei konā au titiro atu ai

Ora, mate,

Hei au koe noho ai.

Whakaaria mai

Tōu rīpeka ki au

Tiaho mai nā roto i te pō

Hei konā au titiro atu ai

Ora, mate,

Hei au koe noho ai.

Āmine.

[Cease the winds from the west, cease the winds from the south, let the breezes blow over the land, let the breezes blow over the ocean. Let the red-tipped dawn come with a sharpened air, a touch of frost, a promise of a glorious day. Behold the sneeze of life!

Oh disaster, oh deaths, oh calamities of the moment, oh mighty tōtara trees of the forest, those of you taken by the Great Hand of Death, sleep there, rest there, and slumber on. You went into the bowels of mother Earth to carry out your responsibilities that would ensure sustenance for the children, grandchildren, yourselves, and your friends, but never to return to the world of brightness and enlightenment.

This is why I am standing here, following up the circumstance of today’s speeches, oh old and young ones, paying tribute to you hidden there from the world of brightness and enlightenment; instead, you are there in the bowels of mother Earth, waiting, waiting, and waiting. Meanwhile, on the surface of mother Earth, the nation is waiting, as well—waiting, waiting, and waiting. But in the end, you are not coming back alive into the arms of your families, as before. You were warriors in your time, worked hard, gave advice, nurtured your families, but are not returning alive. This is the reason why we are grieving inside, because you are lying there, concealed from us in the bowels of mother Earth. Here is the country and the world in mourning for you. Rest in peace, rest in peace, rest in peace.

The nation weeps—Māori, non-Māori, children, adults, elderly womenfolk, elderly menfolk— this, then, is the nation that mourns for you; rest peacefully, rest peacefully, rest peacefully. We have heard stories about you in the prime of your life, during your life on the land. The country is proud of you. Indeed, yes! It is not as though you reached the pinnacles of the country, adorned the walls of Parliament House. No, not at all! But in the hearts of your families, you reached the right levels. You cannot ignore that. Not at all. So today, colleagues, there is only one statement, one thought, and one spirit; it is about you who are no longer here, gone. You have reached the very pinnacle of the universe. Sleep, rest, and lie there.

To the people of the country, let me say this: leave them there to rest and slumber. I come back to us, the world of the living, to us throughout our House: greetings to you, and greetings to us all. Lest we forget, as others before me alluded to, the country’s services made every attempt to rescue these men. We must acknowledge their efforts, in the full knowledge that they were heart-broken, as well, because they were close work compatriots and friends to each other. We need to recognise this. My part is merely to follow up on the acknowledgments by these ones who spoke before me. The real problem is that the outcome was not what we all wanted.

As I was making my way home after completing some work relating to Parliament last night, I was thinking to myself: if I am grieving like this for 29 people, how did the country react to a war in past years? Look about you. There are the memorial symbols commemorating those who fell. This is a mere 29, and the country is grief-stricken. How I feel sorry for us all. They are the ones who died. At Dobson, four died; At Strongman, 15; at Cave Creek, 14; so the heart grieves. Only one company of men died today, so let them rest there. All I am simply saying to each and every one of you in the House is to allow them to rest there. My call to the families, the region, and the country in grief is for us to be staunch, to stand shoulder to shoulder, hand in hand, and support those who are in grief now so that they do not feel alone and anxious. We must make them stronger, because they mirror us in our grief. So greetings to you throughout the House, and greetings to you all.

Show me

Your cross

Let it shine there in the darkness

I look to thee

In life and death,

Let me abide with thee.

Show me

Your cross

Let it shine there in the darkness

I look to thee

In life and death,

Let me abide with thee.

Amen.]

Members joined in the singing of the waiata.

TE URUROA FLAVELL: E tau ki runga i a tātau katoa te wairua o ngā mātua tūpuna. Nā ratau i whakatakoto te ara hei hīkoinga mā tātau ngā uri; i whakatō ki ō tātau ngākau ki ngā tikanga hei aratakingia i a tātau; kia ngākaunui ki te hāpai i wā tātau mahi katoa i roto i te pono, i te tika, i te māramatanga; me te aroha o tētahi ki tētahi. Koia rā e Rongo, whakairia ki runga, tū toro whiti whakamaua kia tīna, tīna, hui e, tāiki e!

[Let the spirituality of our ancestors settle upon us. They were the ones who set down the path for us, the descendants, to traverse. They also embedded customs in us that would guide, commit, and elevate all that we do in good faith, righteousness, and understanding, with a love for each other. Hearken, Rongo, hang it above, and allow us to fix it there firmly, very firmly; alas, it is fixed and firm.]

Motion agreed to.

Mr SPEAKER: Honourable members, with our thoughts and prayers firmly focused on the families and friends of the 29 miners we have so tragically lost, I ask all members to stand with me and observe a minute’s silence as a mark of respect.

Honourable members stood as a mark of respect.

The House adjourned at 2.44 p.m.